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Saturday, June 25, 2011

Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup - A Perfect Post-Surgery Meal!

***Folks, it's been quite a week around our house. It all started last Friday when I had laparoscopic surgery. Even though it was considered a pretty minor surgery, I was still REALLY nervous. This was the first time that I had ever been put under general anesthesia, so I was extremely uncertain about that whole concept. Luckily, I was blessed with an amazing team of doctors and nurses, and everything went perfectly.

The day after my surgery, Brad had a serious kidney stone attack. He ended up in the ER later that day, and was eventually scheduled for surgery a few days later. Fortunately, his surgery also went well.So, after making it through two surgeries in one week, we are both recovering well...thank goodness! I mean, WHAT ARE THE ODDS? I still can't believe we both had surgery within a six day period.

I don't know what we would have done without my little sisters here to help us through this terrible week. They were like 2 angels sent to us to help us through it all. They cooked our meals, cleaned our house, and kept our spirits up. Seriously - I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family.

The first thing that Suzanne and Maranne made for dinner after my surgery was a huge pot of the most amazing Chicken Noodle Soup I've ever had. Early that morning, Brad took Maranne to the big farmer's market in downtown Birmingham, while Suzanne stayed behind with me. Maranne is a budding foodie herself, and she came home with a huge smile on her face and a bag full of goodies. One of her "finds" was this big bunch of pretty carrots...

Maranne loved the farmer's market...

Now, most chicken soups are watery and bland, but this recipe is anything but boring! It's packed with chunks of chicken, egg noodles, carrots, english peas, corn and SO much flavor! One bite of this soup and my worries from the previous day started to dissipate.

It's true what they say - Chicken Noodle Soup does wonders when you're sick, or in my case...recovering from surgery!

Bon Appetit!***

Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup

Source: Maranne & Suzanne Gainous

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts

2 boxes of chicken stock

3 large eggs

1 stick of butter

1 can of english peas

1 can of corn

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cheddar soup

3 large carrots

3 stalks of celery

basil and oregano to taste

salt and pepper to taste

2 bay leaves

1 12 oz. bag of egg noodles

1 sweet onion

Preparation:

1. Pour 2 boxes of chicken stock into a large pot along with 1 stick of butter, salt and pepper, 3 large eggs, and chicken breasts. Bring mixture to a boil.

2. Once your eggs have boiled for approximately 10 minutes, remove from liquid and place in a bowl of cold water. Once cooled, you can peel and dice them. Set aside.

3. Once chicken has cooked (approximately 45 minutes to an hour), remove breasts from the liquid and cut into one inch cubes.

4. Add the cream of mushroom soup and cheddar soup to the liquid. Whisk to dissolve. Then add the corn, peas, boiled eggs, diced onion celery and carrots, basil, oregano, bay leaves, and chicken cubes to the broth.

5. Let the mixture simmer for approximately thirty minutes.

6. Once the carrots and celery have softened, add the egg noodles. Let the mixture boil lightly for about twenty minutes or until the noodles are cooked through. Be sure to stir frequently.